Studio 60: Live blogging on the Sunset Strip with Shakespeare's Sister

Updated throughout show.

Mannion:  The blonde has yet to see an episode of Studio 60.  It's on past her usual bedtime.  "What you've written about so far hasn't made me want to stay up to see it," she told me tonight.

Now, because I get lonely here at night and want to share some quality TV time with my loving wife, and we've finished off Season Two of Deadwood and Season Two of House hasn't arrived from Netflix yet, I figure I'd better get some positive things written about Studio 60 pronto.

So I've brought in a ringer.  A fan of the show.  Someone I'm sure you all know and love, star of stage, screen, and radioactivity, ladies and germs, let's have a big round of applause for...

Shakespeare's Sister, her fans, her parrot, and her all-girl orchestra!

Hello, Mannionites. Shakes here, with many thanks to Mannion for giving me the keys to the Lancemobile for the evening.

As mentioned above, I find myself here only by virtue of having enjoyed Studio 60 so far, because I am otherwise patently unqualified for the job. I am a terrible watcher of TV, typically avoiding any series that forces me to pay attention to it on a weekly basis to retain some sense of what’s going on, that doesn’t have as its primary demographic "nerds," and/or that doesn’t give me at least as much pain as pleasure. Thusly, I admit to watching things like American Idol, mainly because I hate it, only to be told I have terrible taste in television—something I already know because television executives have been telling me for years, by canceling every show I like.

The mere mention of Freaks and Geeks can still bring tears to my eyes.

I’ve also never seen an episode of West Wing (grateful fans of which have applauded my decision to never tune in and thereby ensure its success), so the last time Aaron Sorkin and I were intimate was Sports Night, leaving me with expectations muted by the passage of time. I turned on Studio 60 more for Matthew Perry and Bradley Whitford than I did for the man who created their characters.

And I certainly haven’t been disappointed. I believed, quite easily, from its start that Matt and Danny were old friends and loyal partners. Like Mannion, I’ve been less enthusiastic about the relationship between Matt and Harriet, for much the same reason. Harriet, I keep thinking, should be a little less easy to read; she should be…perkier. Every line should leave a question mark hanging in the air: Is she daft, or cunning? I’d prefer not to know whether she’s completely unaware that she’s tying Matt in knots, or glad of it. Her being evidently glad of it, and our nonetheless liking her, is predicated on knowing her better. Last week’s show remedied that a bit.

But forget Matt and Harriet. The real action is the developing relationship (not of the romantic sort) between Danny and Jordan (Amanda Peet). Last week’s subplot in which Jordan won that much more of Danny’s trust, and hence, a big favor, simply by showing a bit of integrity, was superb—and because Whitford and Peet are so fun to watch together, it nearly made me ignore the metawink of the scene, in which a fictional show bemoans the lack of precisely the kind of integrity so rare in television that it can be only be found on a fictional show designed to critique that lack of integrity.

Okay, enough of where we’ve been. Liveblogging where we’re going begins shortly…

9:02 - "Dome of pleasure?"  No one thinks the Fortress of Solitude is called the Dome of Pleasure.  Superman didn't hang out at a strip joint.

9:15 - "No, I want to put him on retainer."  Ha.

I like the idea of being at the cast party, although I'm already bored with Matt and Harriet again.  I have high hopes for the addled Sid Caesar fan to warm the cockles of my very heart, though, because I'm a sucker for shit like that.

9:30 - One of the things I like about both Matt and Danny is how they immediately respect anyone who calls them on their shit.  The reason I like this is because I can relate.  D.L. Hughley is shaping up to be one of my favorite characters in the show.

Jordan needs friends.  Oy.  I liked the exchange about Harriet's and her juxtaposed gossip nuggets in a celebrity rag, though.  "My father was thrilled to read that."  "I bet he was."  Ah, bonding.

Tom's dad is a prick.  And a cardboard prick at that.  Just push him over, Tom!  In front of a cat.  Cats like to chew on cardboard.

9:41 - I got ten smackers that says that baseball has a phone number on it.

Mr. Shakes says, "Simon needs to be a writer!"  Gee, ya think?

My cockles are very warm from Scarface. 

9:58 - New black writer.  Quite a night for this guy. 

I would have won ten smackers, if anyone had been foolish enough to take my bet.

Oh...my cockles were getting warmer, warmer...and then...why it's Matt, all growed up!  I've been left with cold cockles.  Smirking cockles.  Sigh.

Why do I like this show?  I ask the same question every week, because every week I gripe to Mr. Shakes about all the things I think are too much or too little, and everything seems to be one or the other.  It's the characters I like.  They're stuck inside this giant pendulum that's swinging way too wide, back and forth.  But it's in rhythm...and I think its arc will narrow, and then everything will fit.

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Thanks very much to Mannion for allowing me to invade, and thanks muchly to the esteemed Mannionites who kept me laughing with co-live-blogging in comments!

Mannion again:  Thanks, Shakes!  Wasn't she great, folks?  And working without a net too!  And let's give it up for our special surprise guest star, James Wolcott, who unfortunately left his acordian at home tonight.  Maybe next time he'll remember and favor us with his trademark rendition of Lady of Spain!  Thanks for stopping by, Mr W.

Please, kids, remember to tip the coat check girl on your way out.

Folks on the West Coast tuning in late, you can still leave your comments too.  Bar's open until 2.  The band will be playing all night.

Comments

[Lance]

"Suzanne! Tarps over everything!"

[Lance]

Commercial break: New Bond, old music. Good.

[konagod]

Amanda Peet ... that gives me flasbacks to Pulp Fiction.

[Lance]

Amanda Peet confusing Fortress of Solitude with Dome of Pleasure? Pushing.

[Lance]

Hey, the cast member's mom is played by Earl's mom!

[Lance]

And the joke about the father offering his successful comedian son money? Stolen! From Seinfeld.

[Jennifer]

I just realized that Sarah Paulson reminds me of one of the nuns from "The Trouble With Angels". I half expect her to quit her gig on the show and give it up for her higher calling.
Lance, I thought this was Shakes' gig... why are you blogging in the comments???

[Lance]

Ok, either Sorkin is cribbing straight from Jay Mohr's book or he has Mohr on the staff. The sexy chick's getting "scolded" for getting laughs that cause a sketch to go long is something that happened to Mohr. Except that Lorne Michaels really was pissed at him for not cutting off the laughs to keep the show on time.

[blue girl]

Mannion! Did you just want to be an obsessive commenter on your own blog?

Ellen's great in that AmX commercial, isn't she? Must be one great sock...it is argyle. The line was better than that -- I just can't remember it.

Why did the show have to slam Ohio? Why-o-why-o-why-o?

I love the 30-Something guy. He's so cool.

I'm trying to be positive in my comments tonight, so maybe The Blonde will watch the show -- but I don't believe Matt needs to get Harriet out of his mind by a hypnotist. I was hoping the whole thing would be over, like a bad dream, by tonight's episode.

I'll try not to say anymore about that.

[Lance]

BG,

I feel like I'm a customer at a restaurant where I usually tend bar. This is great! I can heckle and order people around! Just like you do when you come here!

[James Wolcott]

I'm not sure who's more clueless, the three ding-a-lings with the globular breasts who can't grasp the concept of scriptwriting, the time-warp parents who belong in a wheat field, or Eli Wallach in his futile special-guest Emmy-award bid.

[James Wolcott]

"Your little brother is standing in the middle of Afghanistan!"

Now that's some guilt-trippin'.

[Lance]

Welcome, Mr W.

My mind's still reeling at the fact that Brad Whitford's character instantly recognizes the names of the Hollywood 10.

[James Wolcott]

I'm sick of the Hollywood 10. They had their shot at stardom. Give some new kids a break.

[blue girl]

Ok, I was going to make a joke about how us parents in this here red state of Ohio do remember our kids names, For Pete's Sake! But, that would be in bad taste now because they've brought up the war.

Shallow comment: Amanda Peet is really pretty, I think.

Another shallow comment: Mr. Wolcott, globular breasts...you are correct there! It was hard to miss 'em.

I don't have any deep comments yet. After all, I am from Ohio. I'll try to think of one during the next segment. Or maybe the one after that. Might take awhile.

[blue girl]

You guys, I have to run downstairs to watch and then upstairs to blog -- I keep missing things -- how did they find out that guy's entire WWII history so fast? Did they google him? How'd they know all that?

[charlie]

well, if they made it a cleveland joke then it might be funny. Columbus? When did anyone make a columbus joke.

so far not bad, but I am forwarding every scene involving Harriet, although she LOOKS a bit better. Still can't stand her talking.

hmm, why do commercials look better when in a Sorkin show? perhaps they should try product placement.

[James Wolcott]

I don't know. I had to lay my head down on my desk after the line about the "Paris Opera of comedy."

[James Wolcott]

My guess is that dad won't find Who's on First funny, though it's fortunate they just happened to have a 78 lp of the routine hanging around the Paris Opera building.

[Lance]

Shakes, you win your 10 smackers. Now you have to buy the beer.

[blue girl]

if they made it a cleveland joke then it might be funny.

Charlie! Pshaw!

SS, you were right about the baseball. You know, I've dealt with assistant marketing managers at non-profits who were much, much tougher than Amanda Peet's character. Shouldn't she be kind of a strong personality being the president and all? She's the president, right? Shouldn't she be all mean and kind of Republican-like?

[charlie]

what's a lp?

[Lance]

I'm real disappointed to find out Clifford Odets named names. I didn't know that.

[Shakespeare's Sister]

the three ding-a-lings with the globular breasts who can't grasp the concept of scriptwriting

I'm glad these boobly rubes got covered in comments. Since I'm a brokeass mofo with no wireless and no laptop, I was running up and down the stairs during commercial breaks--and I found it wholly impossible to quickly summarize my outsized disdain for their irritating presence.

[James Wolcott]

Gee, the parallels between the old Philco show and this one were sure SUBTLY HIGHLIGHTED. Eli Wallach mentions writing certain sketches just to impress this woman he had a crush on and Harriet materializes in the background, betrayed by a signed baseball.

And maybe I missed something when I investigated what one of our cats was chewing, but that Steven Weber outburst about subtitles, the Sudan, and the UN seemed to fly out of nowhere, as if the writers had forgotten to write him any scenes and this was a last-minute rush job so that he wouldn't feel neglected.

[Shakespeare's Sister]

Harriet materializes in the background, betrayed by a signed baseball

Betrayed by the Anti-Matt, now she must haunt the Matt-Matt.

[michael gee]

OK, that's five tries I've given this show, and despite the fact I adore looking at Amanda Peet, that's all it gets. When this former sportswriter guesses the arc of each storyline and half the dialogue well in advance, that's snooty hack work, not quality television. Oh, yeah, one more thing. If being a stand-up act who gets no laughs is the ideal training for comedy writing on a hit show, why would it be hard to find new writers in Los Angeles?

[blue girl]

I was running up and down the stairs during commercial breaks

SS! Me too! I am sweating over here!

Mr. W, you're right again! What was with Steven Weber's obnoxious U.N. monologue, chasing cute West Wing guy around that table?

(Ok. You didn't say cute West Wing guy. That's all me.)

:)

[Anthony Cartouche]

I'm from Ohio and I am here to tell you it deserves to have jokes made about it. Nothing but a bunch of cracker-ass rubes in this state once you leave Cuyahoga County.

[charlie]

see, cleveland jokes are ALWAYS funny.

[Shakespeare's Sister]

SS! Me too! I am sweating over here!

Let's go for a martini, yes?

[Lance]

I want our own wrap party.

[Shakespeare's Sister]

I want our own wrap party.

Good idea. But who's going to liveblog it?

[blue girl]

Yes, SS! Let's go! Tom Watson's buying!

I can heckle and order people around! Just like you do when you come here!

You know.

I resemble that remark.

Ba-dum-bum!

[Lance]

Who'll live blog our wrap party, Sis?

Why, Aaron Sorkin, of course.

[blue girl]

I want our own wrap party.

I would have it at my house. But no one would come. Cuz you know. I live in Cleveland.

[Anthony Cartouche]

So I do, blue girl. I'll be there. I'll even bring my own baseball.

[Shakespeare's Sister]

I'll even bring my own baseball

Could you bring an orange painted to look like a baseball? Those are hot.

[Anthony Cartouche]

I don't have any oranges. I do have an exploding baseball around here someplace, though.

[Bobomo]

Can someone describe the seen where Jack goes off on Danny? My cable conveniently died on that one channel for 1:30 at the end of the show. There's no way I'm downloading the whole thing just to catch one scene at the end...

[Katewyn]

"Why do I like this show?  I ask the same question every week, because every week I gripe to Mr. Shakes about all the things I think are too much or too little..."

I do exactly the same with the Big Greek at my house - running down my "notes" after each episode. I want to pull things back, push them over there...yes, please dump the globulars for three equally absurd but more plausible + interesting women...Oh no, don't put Harriet in that last geezer scene! Less is more, Aaron - surely you know that. But I still like it. I'm so tired of forensics and terror and hysteria. I want to spend an hour with decent people working together in an admirable pursuit, while dealing with life's mundane issues. You know...something vaguely familiar, only snappier.

I would have agreed that the Dad was cardboard if I hadn't just talked to my own father today and - based on how that went - it would mean I'd have to call him cardboard, too. I find myself wanting Jordan's character to have more authority and distance (and a greater range of nonverbal gestures), while remembering - drat! - that in my own experience as a writer, studio execs have been equally casual and goofy and revealing. And stupidly drunk, a la Jack's outburst.

I'm in the Shakes camp, assuming this thing is in the process of finding its own best rhythm, hoping it makes it home in time to last a while. I'm rooting for it.

[velvet goldmine]

I slept through the whole thing. Damn sinus infection. Anyone have it on tape? I'll prepay!

[Anthony Cartouche]

Go to www.nbc.com and watch the episode there, velvet. If your PC's processor is kewl enough you can even download the episode

[Dave MB]

I thought this episode was very good in spots but uneven overall. The Tom and Simon plots worked nicely, but the bimbos were simply annoying (such women presumably exist in LA but wouldn't their scenes have been much more interesting if these three weren't such pure stereotypes?) and the Eli Wallach plot had too many infodumps. And was anyone else made uncomfortable by the (otherwise very strong) Cal 's fanby gushing over Eli's war record? I got the point, that Eli was named "un-American" after making huge sacrifices for his country, but my understanding is that veterans tend not to like discussion of the details of their service with non-veterans. (Cf. Toby with the Korean War vets in TWW -- he had the same obsessive knowledge about what they had done but to them he just quietly indicated respect.) I thought it was a departure from Cal's usual interpersonal skills. (BTW, the real Eli Wallach served in WWII but not in combat as far as Wikipedia says.)

Sorkin can get along for a while exposing a few character's backstory to us each week, but at some point isn't he going to need more of a plot? Now that Harriet is dumping her anti-Matt, I guess the next logical thing is for Matt to find himself attracted to an anti-Harriet (and the biimbos don't qualify).

[velvet goldmine]

Anthony, Thanks but my computer can barely handle this web site. Youtube is out of the question, and downloading episodes is out of the stratosphere. However, a very kind uncle just sent my kids a "Smallville" episode they'd missed, so maybe the gods are with me and he's a Sorkin fan.

Or I could wait for the rerun, like the pioneers did.